Lincoln LS

ls1bmw0

First race for the LS is tentatively set for Sebring March 15-18, as long as sponsorship money is obtained. And for LS Mania, as long as the schedule works out, he will have the race car at our event.

Brian

akirby

So, how many 300Ms and Acura 3.2TLs do you think we'll see in the Sebring race?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

jimmybob1

I'm really curious to know where Sebring is, principally to see this LS racing car. Can anybody help with details of:-
a) where is the circuit?
and
b) what is the spec of the car?

Thanks!

joelincoln

Hi jimmybob,

Sebring is in the middle of Florida on hwy 98.

Go to http://www.sebringraceway.com/

Joe

ls1bmw0

Hi Rene. I've been trying to email you but it keeps getting bounced back. Please email me your phone number and I will call you.

Thanks,
Brian

ls1bmw0

jimmybob1,

Email me and I can give you details on the LS race car.

Thanks,
Brian
brian.gowing@llsoc.com

ezaircon4jc

Well boys and girls, I just got back from our first real Road Trip. We went to Lost Wages for our anniversary. There was too much traffic overall to open her up however, we did get to 115 before Wifey wanted to know how fast we were going (I also ran out of clear enough road where the CHP like to hide these days!). The car is UNbelievably stable, just like Jonathon said. 115 felt just like 80! The car was glued to the road. On the way home, we were able to do 80-100 most of the way between Vegas and Barstow (CA). Almost got caught once just north of Baker (World's Largest Thermometer claim to fame). CHP was sitting on the shoulder. I guess his radar gun was off, or, since we all were doing almost 90, he figured we were pretty close to the 70 limit. That or he wanted to get an 18 wheeler going faster than 55. In any case, he was still there a couple of miles later so we were back to about 100. There is really not that great a sensation of speed. All this and 24mpg! What a Country, what a Car!

My wife has more trouble with the belt retractor in our Sable than she does in the LS. In the Sable, the belt always gets twisted when she takes it off and that keeps it from retracting all the way.

amengual and breakin. I changed my oil at 500 miles, at 1500, then started the AAA freebie changes at 3000. I did all the other speed stuff also for the first 1000, change speed at least 5mph at least every 10 minutes (freeway), don't floor it, don't mash the brakes (except in an emergency, of course), drive slowly as the engine warms up (this doesn't take but a few miles), stay under 75mph. When you've ben good for the first 1000 miles or so..... sit back and HAVE FUN!!

sawmill

ezaircon - Vegas? I took my LS w/wife and daughter there too this weekend for Superbowl activities.

The route (I-15) was too crowded to let her out, but this was the first time my LS was in snow or temperatures below freezing - it seemed smooth and handles the same to me. Not even a hint of window fogging.

The four hour trip was a joy, thanks in part to those incredible seats.

ezaircon4jc

We went up Sunday morning and came home last evening. I've never seen that place so deserted! It was nice for a change. Where did you stay? We were at Excalibur, $39 a night. Can't beat that! 4 hours? We did Vegas to Corona in 3. You must've been motoring too! I saw another silver LS just outside of Stateline on the way there and another couple there. Wasn't it weird to see snow on the ground At Stateline? We were surprised. When we went, the snow was melting (UGH, my clean car!) but as you sat, I saw many other cars with fogged windows and mine were as clear as a bell!

desertguy

Well I couldn't wait for you to take action any longer so......today I had a pair of MagnaFlows put on. The guy did a good job and the new mufflers are almost the same length as the stock ones. Snipped a little more room in that bottom plastic facia and the chrome tips look sharp. Most important: It sounds grrrrrrreat. Not too loud just mellow and sweet in keeping with the car's personality. Took it out on the freeway right after and it seems quicker, I know it sounds quicker!

ezaircon4jc

OK, you forgot one thing. If you don't mind me asking, how much????

desertguy

They ran $115 each installed, total $230. These have a lifetime guarantee so I am very happy with the whole thing. Should have done it months ago.

voorherf

I've got a couple weeks now with this PCM upgrade. I could not be happier with this transmission. Good job Mark.
Love this car.

jerry2281

johnnylinc
I found contents of Premium Package in Lincoln Training Info dated 1/17. Since I took delivery of LS V-8 on Dec. 26, I was curious too.
Code 65L Premium Package-Requires 60L Convenience Package on V6. N/A I/60N Sport Package
UNIQUE INTERIOR TRIM:
-judo leather seating surfaces, front and rear, with basket weave design leather inserts (all one
color)
-Leather available in two colors-Light Parchment (unique) or Deep Charcoal
-Unique Light Parchment interior trim above the belt line and Medium Parchment below or Light Graphite/Deep Charcoal
PACKAGE CONTENT:
17" chrome 5-spoke wheels with sport tuned suspension
DC Changer (6-disc/in-dash mounted) with Alpine Audiophile System
Power Moon roof
Premium floor mats and trunk mat with Lincoln Star
Cargo Net

My LS build date was early December and I was hoping also that new digital phone would be available like new Mercedes-Benz 280. I got one of the last analog phones and am not too crazy about it. Poor voice quality from inside the car. On my previous car the analog Motorola hard-wired unit with microphone above driver's side window was much clearer. I thought factory-integrated phone would be better. Not so.

ls1bmw0

Where did you get them from, Jerry? You got a good price. Do you know the part numbers for them?

Thanks,
Brian

scottc8

Hector,
For what it's worth, I noticed a distinct "loosening up" in my V8 at around 4000 miles. It just seemed to start revving more freely at the same amount of throttle. Perhaps an indication of when the engine was truly broken in?

Also, a warning: It will now take you longer to get anywhere you're going. You'll find yourself looking for the longest route, or at least the one with the most curves. My dealer is five miles away, and it took 100 miles of driving to get that car home the first day!

Enjoy.
Scott

lkuos

I appreciate the help and offer from ls1bmw0 and ezaircon4jc, but I reside in the San Gabriel Valley so San Diego would be a bit of a drive. Thanks anyways. And to stanny1, thanks for the explanation of oil viscosity. Earlier today I purchased a case of Mobil 1 10w-30 for 4.59 a quart, an oil filter, a 2 1/4 ton hydraulic jack, and an oil pan. I proceeded to jack the car up on the drivers side jacking point. When I was under the car, I was able to locate the oil filter. However, I was not able to locate the oil drain plug. I would really appreciate it if anyone can explain to me what an oil drain plug looks like, and where one could be found on the V6. Thanks for bearing with my newbie questions.
Oh yeah and one more question. I can slightly recall that LS' with the sport package comes with an engine oil cooler, and that it requires more oil. I was unable to find that information in the owner's manual. Does anybody know if this is true? And if so, how much oil does the V6 sport require? Thanks everybody.

koury

Does anyone know if this applies to a build date of 10/99?

johnnylinc

Thank you for digging up the package contents--this is very intriguing! At first glance, this package appears to be the long-lost Sport/Audiophile combination that I desperately wanted but couldn't get due to the weight constraints.

From the information in the new order sheet, it's impossible to tell whether or not this includes a full-blown Sport setup. It says "sport-tuned suspension" and includes the Sport 17" chrome wheels, but it doesn't specify whether it's the exact same suspension settings available on the Sport package, and it doesn't say anything about the steering setup. It also doesn't mention the oil cooler, leather wheel & shifter, and monochrome bumper caps.

Now that this has become public info, can someone from Lincoln clarify the exact makeup of this package? Does it include all the Sport components, or is it just the suspension?

Something else I noticed is that there's a new exterior color available with the Premium Package--it's called Ceramic White and its code is WS. There are also two new interior codes: 5G for light/medium parchment and 5W for graphite/charcoal.

With everything that's included, the price of the package seems quite reasonable. I wish to heck it had been available at the beginning of the '01 model year. My car is exactly 5 months old today, and I'm not crazy enough (or rich enough) to swap it for another '01, but it's certainly something to consider for people who are in the throes of a purchasing decision.

It'll be really interesting to see what the interior changes look like; what the heck is a "nudo leather" seating surface, anyway?

Note to lkuos: After much previous discussion, the concensus seems to be that there is NO difference in oil capacity between Sport and non-Sport models. Someone--jnowski, I think--pointed out that the oil cooler is very small and really doesn't add capacity. Your owner's manual provides the correct fill amounts.

thomas_l

I have no complaints with the built-in analog phone except for crappy pricing plans and only two providers that will even sign up a new analog phone (so much for market pressure!). The audio is clear as a bell both for me and the other party (found that out one day my wife was out in the LS and I called her in it from home). It's powerful enough that I rarely get any static, but then my usual routes don't often take me where coverage is poor. In fact, the only place I hear static are one or two "dead" spots that my Nokia 8860 would have dropped the call anyway. I would pay a few $$$ and change out my Nokia if Motorola offered a kit to plug a Timeport into the LS factory gear. I really like the system and the hands-free dialing.

johnnylinc

On further investigation, the 65L package DOES include the sport-tuned steering and upgraded brake linings--it's the exact same suspension description as the Sport.

Nothing mentioned about SST, though.

desertguy

Brian - Unfortunately there is no model # on my invoice. Just "intall two Magnaflows." I got mine at Pacific Brake & Muffler in Indio. All the guy does is exhaust work. Has enough pride to make sure the tips come out straight etc. He told me that Magnaflow recently had an open house for dealers and he went. Interestingly they are in Rancho Santa Margarita which isn't all that far from you. These units look like the stock only not quite as oval. Some kid was getting a Magnaflow on a Celica and it looked like the old Hollywood type glasspack. You don't want one of those. Way too loud. But he liked it.

mkovalsk

koury,

Yes, this TSB applies to any car built before approximately 10-00. So your 10-99 built car is included.

If you have slower engagements than you like, take it in and tell them the engagements are slow. This TSB will make them much faster.

Mark

stanny1

The oil drain plug is hiding. It can only be seen from the passenger side. The plug is on the lowest part of the shiny aluminum "oil pan" if you can call it that. This engine almost looks like it has a dry sump because there is no large,deep oil pan. Just a shiny aluminum square area with a plug on the side. Luckily, you won't need any kind of replacement copper washer,gasket or O-ring. I woudn't put a lot of torque on the drain plug - use a short wrench. I forget the size. The filter is just to the left of the drain plug. The V-8 guys have it easy - it's all up front. That's why safety is important with the V-6. The filter and drain plug is buried in the "middle" Be sure to use jack stands to hold up the car. Ramps always affect the drain angle. For the best drain, the driver's side could be a little higher than the passenger, and make sure you drain when the engine is warm.
The Sport doesn't have a traditional radiator type oil cooler. Instead, it is really a "heat exchanger" above the oil filter with coolant lines that helps to transfer heat between the oil and coolant, back and forth. Synthetic oil lubricates well at low temps and high, and its viscosity is more constant, so the contribution of the "cooler" is more limited. But it probably helps warm-up. Corvette went to Syn oil (Mobil 1) to eliminate the oil cooler (no room).
You'll find the car needs almost all the 7 quarts if you let it drain. This first change will help clean out the residual Dino oil. You'll find that with Syn oil, you'll lose less oil and the inside and outside of the engine will stay cooler and cleaner. The top end of Dino oil boils off. Syn oil loses much less. It's usually the water that boils off, instead of reacting with Dino oil to form sludge. After the first oil change, it will be old stuff. Enjoy.

joelincoln

I called today for an appointment for my first oil change and found that my dealer has gone out of business!

This is the second time this has happened to me. Now I have to try another dealer for service work and hope that they accept me as a "valued customer" since I didn't buy the car there.

Brian, et. al.
Please remove Morristown LM in Morristown, NJ from your good dealer lists.

Joe

sawmill

Here's the list. Please pardon me if I missed any recent additions, it has been diificult to follow every post when I am busy.

OUTSTANDING MECHANICS

CA - Mayberry LM, North Hollywood, CA
CA - San Diego Auto Collection (two locations in San Diego and Escondido)
FL - Central Florida Lincoln Mercury
LA - Marshall Bros. LM, on Veterans at Clearview in Metairie
MD - Dulaney LM, Timonium, MD
MD - King LM in Gaithersburg, MD
MI - Apollo LM, Ann Arbor, MI
NC - Leith L/M in Raleigh, NC
NY - Cortese L-M in Rochester, NY
NY - Cortese L-M, in Rochester, NY
OH - Crossroads LM in Cleveland, OH
OH - Kent Lincoln/Mercury in Kent Ohio
OH - Ron Rush in Columbus, OH
OR - John Kool LM in Portsmouth
PA - Franklin Auto F/M, in Franklin, PA
PA - McGowan L/M in West Chester PA
TX - La Grange Ford/L-M in La Grange, TX
TX - Village (formerly Gateway) LM of Denton TX
TX - Village Lincoln Mercury in Irving,Texas
VA - John Kool LM in Portsmouth, VA
WI - Alexander Motors in Fond du lac, WI
WI - Van Drisse Lincoln Merc in Green Bay, WI

HONORABLE MENTION

CA - Stanford Lincoln, in Palo Alto, CA
GA - Kennesaw LM (near Atlanta, GA )
TX - Bankston LM in Dallas, TX

lkuos

In post #476 you said, "You'll find the car needs almost all the 7 quarts if you let it drain."
My owner's manual says 5.7L (6.0 quarts). Just wondering which is it, or does it not matter much?

stanny1

Page 272 of the Owners Manual: V-6 is 6.7 quarts and a little more if you have the Sport (7 full quarts). The V-8 is only 6 quarts because it is a lower performance engine (just kidding guys). I always use 7 quarts. Gee, that's almost TWO GALLONS !!! In contrast, the Getrag takes only 1.2 quarts. What a difference - the auto takes 11.9 quarts of Mercon ( but I would use Amsoil Universal Synthetic Auto Trans Fluid if I had the Auto). Let's see - 11.9 x about 6 bucks a quart - well it lasts at least 3 x longer.

ls1bmw0

Mark had problems connecting from Yellowknife last night so we are going to be rescheduling the auto. tranny chat with him once he defrosts when he comes back on Feb. 9th. As usual, I'll keep everyone posted.

BTW for all those who just have this forum bookmarked and haven't visited the Owners Club to see all the different discussion topics in our group you're missing out. It is quite interesting to read all the member profiles and see how many of us are gearheads!

Whoops, almost forgot. I've deleted Morristown LM from the list and I'm posting sawmill's updated list on LLSOC. Thanks guys!

Brian(who is happy he has 2 more pistons than stanny1)

joe166

I remember reading that the actual oil capacity has not changed, but that they did some tests and determined that the oil would not start getting disturbed if another quart were added to the sump so the dipstick was recalibrated and the stated capacity was changed in the manual and in other specifications. So, although some early owners manuals (and you don't know where they might have come from before they were put in your car), might still say 6.0 it is about a quart more. Obviously, the more the merrier as it serves as a medium for transferring heat and if there is more it will react less to contaminants which would be more diluted with a higher volume of oil. I expect that there must be at least a few of the older dipsticks around, but if I remember correctly we were told that it was a change made before the cars were available for purchase so none are supposed to be out there. That explains the differences in some owners manuals. Anyone please let me know if this is the fruit of an overly fertile imagination or if this really happened. I am prepared to swear to it, but with a serious case of advanced old timers disease, who knows?

jdonnee

Had the new TSB done today and it appears to work great. Need to give it time. Again, Leith LM in Raleigh, NC was great. They went out of their way and did the reflash as I waited.

akrus

The Globe and Mail newspaper from Toronto published an overview of the LS today. The following link will take you to the review.

http://www.globeandmail.com/globemegawheels/20010201/lincoln.html

Albert

medphys

I am excited to say that after inquiring I have found a very active SCCA chapter in my area. The Delta Chapter, in fact has a SOLO I event in 10 days, about 5 miles from my house. I see that the Mark VIII is an F Stock class but did not see any LS class. Has anyone done a SOLO I with the LS? What advice can you give a novice that will put himself and the car through the paces in 10 days.

Thanks,

Medphys

ls1bmw0

Are you sure it's Solo I and not Solo II? Solo I is race track stuff and Solo II is autocrossing in parking lots. If you haven't done this before you want to do Solo II first. Solo I is more like a time trial on a race track.

The LS is not officially classified yet. I talked to Duncan Hill from the SCCA and he told me that they were evaluating where to put the LS, probably in F stock.

The LS is a blast to drive in autocross. Turn off the ATC/TC and you'll have more fun. Bring a helmet along. They won't let you race without one.

Brian

medphys

You are right, my mistake, it is SOLO II. I copied the list of cars in F Stock and they do seem to include the V8 Sedans. The last autocross here in Delta Region was won by a '94 BMW 540 with a time of 45.861, #2 was a '93 T-Bird with 50.722. How do you think the LS will do, with a novice at the wheel? Any other advice? Why turn off the ATC?

Thanks,

Medphys

ezaircon4jc

The ATC/TC won't let you run the corners "at the edge." Both systems will start a) shutting off fuel (TC) or b) brakeing (ATC) to keep the rear wheels from slipping. You will need to get into a slight 4-wheel drift to get your fastest times. At MANIA I did TERRIBLY with the TC on. I was at least a couple seconds faster with it turned off.

heyjewel

akrus: Thanks for the pointer to another good LS review. He even liked the stereo!

medphys: I agree with the others about turning off TC or AdvanceTrac when autocrossing. My time improved by a second or 2 after I went against the advice of our Irvine hosts and switched ADVTrac OFF. Also, depending on how long the straights are, get your SST into first right away. And you'll probably stay in first for much of the run. IME.

Another LS option: Saw a glossy today announcing the LS SE (I think that's the name) package. This is the one I spoke about including a spoiler. It also includes lots of lower-body cladding and a front air dam, and I think a couple other things. MSRP is $1995. Seems kinda high to me. But it'll make your (V8-only!) LS look a lot more like the drawing on LLSOC.
PS: I didn't like the spoiler. It's a 3-piece trunk-hugger rather than a wing-type.

amengual

I picked up my car last night. Did someone recommend that I keep the car under 75 mph for the first 1,000 miles?. I hope that I'm wrong because that would be nearly impossible to do. I'm more of a computer geek than a gearhead. Could someone tell me how I can find out the buid date of my LS? Also, I thought I read a posting about proper tire pressure. My searches are not finding it. Anyway, I hope this first 1,000 miles go fast. I guess that I'll volunteer to taxi the kids around. I hope they don't mind taking the scenic routes.

ezaircon4jc

My neighbor/mechanic told me to stay under 70ish during the "break-in." It was VERY hard for me to do, but as I want this car to last a VERY long time, I did it. Even if he's wrong, it didn't hurt anything. BTW, I had already hit 95 when he told me. OOPS!
The build date, month/year, is on the lower right of the sticker and on the plaque on the front of the drivers side door frame.
As to tire pressure, I remember reading a few million posts ago that 32 was the better pressure. I know the plaque says 30, but someone, can't remember who, said 32 worked for them. When I get my rotation done at the dealer they always set the pressure at 32.

thomas_l

I agree with the last two about the autocross - with AdvanceTrac/TC off you will find yourself steering with your gas pedal. I improved 6 seconds by turning AdvanceTrac off. I think SCCA requires a Snell 90 helmet - be sure to check the rules. Bring some white shoe polish for putting numbers on your windows and make sure loose items including floor mats are left at home or stowed firmly in the trunk. Prepare to be amazed at how you can pound the brakes at the last minute and the lack of body roll prior to a drift. We have another on coming up in mid-March here in ATL and I will be getting details posted soon. Hopefully with some advance notice I won't be the only LS there this time...

scottc8

Hector,
Can't believe you're going to hurt anything driving your car at 75 or a little more, unless you're doing it in 3rd gear. Check the tachometer at freeway speed & you'll see what I mean.
Scott

akirby

Do yourself a big favor and read the owner's manual from start to finish. Only takes a half hour or so. This will explain many things (including some of the questions you just asked) and will show you things that you did not know about. This will help you avoid the RTFM comments, although this board seems to be far more tolerable than other groups about that.

Warning - you will soon begin experience phenomena unique to LS owners including an acute loss of direction (causing you to drive circuitous routes over back roads). You will also start to run out of critical groceries several times a week causing you to drive to the grocery store at odd hours. These occurrences do not go away with time - they actually get worse!!
Enjoy.

lwv

I have found a new 2000 ls6 auto with sport package, moon roof, convenience pack, audiophile for 29k. Car has list of 36400. Ivory with charcoal. Car has build date of 6/00. If I purchase an 01 I can not get the audiophile. Do you think I will enjoy the v6? Is this a good deal or am I paying too much? Car has about 450 miles on it. I have wanted to purchase or lease one of these for a long time. Any input would be appreciated.

desertguy

Go for it. I wish I could have purchased mine at such a low price. But in '99 when I got mine they were still in short supply and not much discounting was going on. I think you will really enjoy the V6 and are getting most all of the desireable options. How about the CD stacker?

lwv

Thanks for the advice. Yes it does have the cd changer in glove box. The discount is because this dealer purchased about 15 of these from a dealer that was going out of business. They must have gotten a good deal on them.

medphys

Thanks for the advice. With the times that I posted for the F Class BMW and T-Bird, how did your best LS times compare? Also. I have heard from 35 to 45 psi, which is it? I have a helmet from my old motorcycle days and I'm glad to hear about the ATC off. Where is the video of LS Mania 2000 posted.

Thanks

Medphys

chartrand

Volunteered to go for a QUART OF MILK AT 9:30 last night. Did a 20 mile loop to get it. Then I had to justify being out so long so that meant a 135 mph blast back and taking my favorite 25 mph double I turn at 70. At least the milk didn't have time to warm up.

ls1bmw0

Go to www.llsoc.com. Click on Picture Gallery on the navigation bar on the left. Then click on LS Mania 2000-Irvine. The video link will be down at the bottom of the next page. You can either click on the Enter video here or Download the Zipped file. Either way it's a big file so if you're on a modem go eat a meal while you're waiting. Even on high-speed access it takes about five minutes to load. Enjoy the music!

Do not inflate your tires to 45 psi. You will think you are on ice! Run max at 35 psi.

You can't compare times on autocross courses unles it was on the same day because the course layout never stays the same. That's one of the beauties of autocrossing. You can never get used to a layout so there usually is never any home field advantage.

Brian

amengual

Thanks for the advice. I'm new on the board and I apologize if I'm bringing up old questions. I need to add that I don't do anything without RTFM first (Those of you who dealt with mainframe System Programmers understand). I only asked the questions because I remember a suggestion about keeping the car under 75 but could not remember where; the manual, the board or told by the dealer. I noticed driving this car that it was very difficult to stay under 75 on the highway. Also, the tire pressure recommended on the door frame says 30 but, again, I thought that I read a post on this board with a different number.

By the way, I have 2 daughters ages 7 and 10 and they can't wait to ride the car. They keep asking me to leave the car with Mom. Fat chance of that. This car drives a lot better that I anticipated. Even after reading all your wonderful posts I was not prepared for how the car feels and handle and I'm still in the break in period.

heyjewel

Hector, you're making me drool! I still have 2 or 3 weeks before I get my LS.

My wife laughed at your post! We sorta have a deal that I have to leave the LS for her and the kids sometimes. I think my terms were "Once in a blue moon" Ha Ha.

- George